This invention relates to a full body swimsuit for enhancing a swimmer""s performance in the water. Swimming performance may be enhanced by optimizing swimming efficiency, which can be related to influencing the swimmer""s physiological responses, improving the accuracy of the swimmer""s movements, and optimizing the direction and magnitude of resultant propellant forces by modifying propellant areas of the swimsuit.
Swimming by humans pertains to a non-rigid motile articulated body lacking specialized propellant surfaces moving in a liquid-gas interface. The human body is not particularly well-equipped or designed for swimming and, therefore, humans are typically highly inefficient swimmers. For example, when compared to a marine mammal, the drag coefficient of a towed human is several orders of magnitude larger than a towed seal (3.5 times larger), as described in xe2x80x9cSwimming Performance and Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Harbor Seals,xe2x80x9d by Williams and Kooyman, Phoca Vitulina. Physiol. Zool., 58:57689 (1985). In swimming, the xe2x80x9ccost of transportxe2x80x9d (i.e., the power expended per unit of distance covered) for humans is high.
To compare human swimmers to marine mammals, however, is misleading. Humans swim at the interface of a liquid-solid medium and are not equipped with any hydrodynamic propellers such as tails or pectoral fins. To swim, humans have to resort to a technique that involves a high production of turbulence and that is based on strict kinetic criteria (swimming technique). This is one of the reasons why humans require intensive training to improve their performance. Only through intensive training can good swimming technique (not natural to humans) be maintained and improved.
Because of human motility, human swimmers cannot be compared to a rigid object moving in a liquid medium, such as a torpedo. It is not clear, however, that reducing the drag coefficient and/or reducing form resistance would be more beneficial than reducing the xe2x80x9ccost of transportxe2x80x9d by improving swimming technique or reducing fatigue.
Optimization of efficiency can be achieved by influencing the parameters contributing to performance. Identifying appropriate parameters and quantifying their contribution are important for advancing athletic performance. In swimming, performance efficiency is largely related to resistive forces. Available theoretical models of swimming generally consider that three major types of resistive forces affect swimming: 1) frictional or surface resistance (skin friction), 2) form resistance (cross-sectional resistance), also referred to as Eddy resistance, and 3) wave making resistance.
Traditionally, swimmers have tried to reduce frictional resistance by removing body hair. See, for example, xe2x80x9cInfluence of Body Hair Removal on Physiological Responses During Breaststroke Swimming,xe2x80x9d by R. L. Sharp and D. L. Costill, Medicine and Science in Sport Exercise, Vol. 21, No. 5, 1989. Swimmers have also tried to reduce the Eddy resistance by assuming a swimming position that comes as close as possible to streamlining the body. As for wave making resistance, swimmers have tried to alter their swimming style by developing special techniques through intensive training.
However, no matter how well trained a swimmer is, fatigue can cause a swimmer to stray from good form and learned techniques and to be less precise in his movements, wasting energy on ineffective movements. Therefore, a need exists for an aid to swimmers that will assist them in maintaining proper swimming form and stave off fatigue by allowing the swimmers to be more effective and efficient with their movements.
Because of the low range of speeds and the differences in human swimming styles, laminar flow (i.e., fabric drag coefficient) is not considered the prominent relevant factor in swimming efficiency. As described in detail hereinbelow, influencing the physiology of the swimmers, optimizing the action of the propellant areas of the swimmers, and improving the accuracy of the swimmers"" movements, rather than reducing the resistive forces, can lower the high cost of transport in human swimming.
A properly designed swimsuit can be used to improve a swimmer""s efficiency in water. At a physiological level, the swimsuit enhances microcirculation of blood in the muscles by applying graduated compression at specific points of the body and in specific compression ranges.
On a cognitive level, the compression of the swimsuit provokes a proprioceptive reaction that enhances a swimmer""s awareness and sensation of body posture and position in space. This awareness leads to more accurate bio-mechanical swimming movements and improved efficiency in swimming.
Alternatively or additionally, turbulence-directing protuberances positioned on propellant areas, for example, the forearms, and in specific patterns also enhance efficiency. The protuberances affect the turbulent flow created by the propellant surface, thus, efficiently redistributing propellant forces. Individually and collectively, these improvements work to promote swimming efficiency and reduce and inhibit fatigue.
According to one aspect of the invention, a full body swimsuit includes areas of graduated compression in a portion of the swimsuit. In one embodiment, the graduated compression can be in an arm portion and/or a leg portion of the swimsuit. In another embodiment, the arm portion of the swimsuit includes a wrist portion and a biceps portion. The compression in the arm portion can be greater at the wrist portion than at the biceps portion. In yet another embodiment, the graduated compression of the arm portion of the swimsuit is less than about 15 mm Hg.
In still another embodiment, the leg portion of the swimsuit includes an ankle portion and a thigh portion. The compression in the leg portion can be greater at the ankle than at the thigh portion. In still another embodiment, the graduated compression of the leg portion of the swimsuit can be between about 15 mm Hg to about 41 mm Hg. Alternatively, the graduated compression of the leg portion of the full body swimsuit can be between about 15 mm Hg to about 35 mm Hg.
In another aspect of the invention, a full body swimsuit includes a turbulence protuberance on a portion of the swimsuit. The protuberance creates a localized point of turbulence when swimming. In one embodiment, the portion of the swimsuit where the protuberance is found is a forearm portion of the swimsuit. The protuberance includes at least one raised element and may include a plurality of raised elements in a pattern such as an array.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a full body swimsuit includes, in combination, a graduated compression in a portion of the swimsuit and a turbulence protuberance in a portion of the swimsuit.
In still another embodiment, the full body swimsuit is made of a material that includes polyester fibers and elastic fibers.
These and other objects, along with advantages and features of the present invention herein disclosed, will become apparent to those skilled in the art through reference to the following description of various embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.